Mr. Speaker, in 1966, municipal leaders from Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Hay River, and lnuvik met to discuss the formation of an association to promote the exchange of information and provide a united front for the realization of their mutual goals. Since then, the goal of the NWT Association of Communities has remained the same, which is working together to achieve all that our communities want to be.
For the past 50 years, municipal leaders across the NWT have come together on numerous occasions to promote a strong voice for local governments. In 2016, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the NWT Association of Communities can proudly boast a membership of 33 or 100% of the communities in the Northwest Territories.
I have had the pleasure of working with the association from many different sides, as a mayor, as an MLA, and now as a member of Parliament.
I congratulate its members on the work they do for their constituents and on celebrating their 50th anniversary.